Trojan tennis set for State finals Friday

Sturgis’ boys tennis team will be looking to equal or better its’ finish at last years’ state final when the Division 3 tournament gets started Friday morning at Kalamazoo College.

“It’s going to be tough, things have to go our way,” Trojan coach George Earl said. “But if we go out and do our thing, do what we are capable of, we could finish higher than eighth.”

Earl was referencing the fact that Sturgis is ranked eighth in the latest poll from the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association (MHSTeCA).

Last year, the Trojans entered the tourney ranked eighth and finished sixth with 12 points. A win by each of the Trojan flights in their first match would pretty much get them in the same territory.

“If everyone wins that’s 14 points,” Earl said.

In team scoring, a point is earned for each win. If a team receives a bye in the first round, a win results in two points. Six of the Trojan flights received first-round byes.

Sturgis also got what Earl felt was a good draw.

“We’re very excited,” he said. “It is partially luck of the draw. (With all the byes) it could be good or bad. You win you get two points.”

Sturgis also had three players seeded, meaning they are considered in the top eight of their flight. They are all in singles. Nick Rehm at No. 2 and Seth Miller at No. 4 got five seeds, while Avery Peterson at No. 3 is a six seed. Rehm and Peterson were also seeded last year in lower flights.

“That’s the most seeds ever,” Earl said in reference to his time coaching the Trojans.

Earl also feels the schedule the Trojans played will aid them at the finals as well as getting the players known, which potentially led to better seeding.

“The schedule has helped,” he said. “The stronger schedule allows you to show yourself to more teams and the stronger play allows you to know where you are in comparison. And we know we are right there with other teams (with good showings at tournaments). And it gives other teams a look at how strong you are.”

Fellow SMAC-foe Coldwater is also in the finals, but Earl thinks their relatively weaker schedule could be a detriment.

“It could hurt them,” he said. “They’re a good, strong team, but they haven’t seen many strong teams except us. They don’t have the comparatives. I hope they perform well, but I know their coach is looking to improve their schedule.”

Page 2 of 2 - At No. 1 singles, senior Eric Bartley opens with a first round bye. He will play the winner of Cadillac’s Chase Schultz versus DeWitt’s Sam Schuster in the second round. Bartley fell in last years’ quarterfinals playing at No. 2.

Senior Nick Rehm, seeded fifth, will meet up with Landon Voigt of Mount Pleasant in a second-round match. Both get first round byes. Rehm lost in the quarterfinals last season as a six seed in No. 3 singles.

Junior Avery Peterson, a sixth-seed, also plays in a second round matchup of two players who received byes. His opponent will be Tristen Fox of DeWitt. Peterson was also was seeded sixth last year at No. 4 and advanced to the quarterfinals before bowing out.

Fifth-seeded sophomore Seth Miller, playing at No. 4, will take on Cadillac’s Ty Pugh after both receive first-round byes. Miller teamed last year with junior Andrew Airgood at No. 4 doubles and they advanced to the semifinals before losing.

At No. 1 doubles, the Trojan duo of senior Chad VanDosen and senior Kris Ransberger open up playing Eddy Trudeau and Don Kozlowski of Mount Pleasant in the first round.

The pair picked up a win last year in the finals playing at No. 2. Sturgis’ No. 2 team of junior Nate Sisson and Airgood also start play with a first-round match. They will meet Dillon Kleihege and Toby Bepler of Haslett. Nate teamed with his brother Ben in doubles action at last years’ finals. The No. 3 team of junior Ben Sisson and junior Nick Foley drew a bye in the opening round. They will meet Spring Lake’s sixth-seeded team of Craig Pratt and Griffin Wagasky, who also received a bye. The Trojan team of senior Caleb Northrop and freshman Matt Polzin at No. 4 also get a bye to the second round. They will face Chris Grande and Brian Jacobs of Chelsea, who also drew a bye. The weather may become a factor.

“The forecast is not great, we may have some indoor matches,” Earl said.

But he doesn’t think it will affect his team whether indoors or out, early starting matches or later.

“On Thursday (in regionals), in everybody’s first match they played well,” Earl said. “I feel this team is mature enough, no matter what.”

That maturity shows up in their attitude as they approach the finals.

“We want to perform well,” Earl said. “The five seniors said a few weeks ago ‘I don’t care if I win, I mean I want to win, but I want to perform and compete the best I can and have an excellent match.”

Earl feels that if his team does perform and compete that they will get wins and may reach their goals. They also would like to continue building on the Trojans recent finals appearances that saw them get two points and 15th in 2008, five points and 12th in 2010, six points and 11th in 2011 and 12 points and sixth last year.